What have you done for the Environment Today?

[daveO]

My point was, theoretically isn't the plastics in biodegradable bags "better" than the stuff in Lego for instance...

This reminded me. I also found a Lego brick near the pre-decimal washing up liquid bottle and I brought it home and cleaned it up. The markings suggest it's also from the 1960s but despite being buried 60 years ago it still fits together perfectly with modern bricks and isn't showing more than a few scratches to show its age.

 

[TeeDee]

My comment wasn't to you :/

My point was, theoretically isn't the plastics in biodegradable bags "better" than the stuff in Lego for instance... Yes, it might take 100 years to break down, so it's a bit of a marketing scam, it might choke a dolphin in its whole form, again, bad, but when it breaks down then is it not theoretically "better"?

Again, this would be biodegradable not "compostable"..

What muppet gave a bucket of Lego to the Dolphins!!!

Pretty hard to use with those flippers I imagine.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

What muppet gave a bucket of Lego to the Dolphins!!!

Pretty hard to use with those flippers I imagine.

Not Lego.. biodegradable poop bags!

Although, I must admit there does seem to be Lego in the ocean, so someone must have thought those playful creatures would enjoy it! Tut tut.

 

[TeeDee]

Not Lego.. biodegradable poop bags!

Although, I must admit there does seem to be Lego in the ocean, so someone must have thought those playful creatures would enjoy it! Tut tut.

Apparently they are VERY intelligent , so I wouldn't be surprised if someone discovers some underwater fortress made from the little colourful Denmarkian (?) blocks.

Colossus Cetacean Castle...

 

[Broch]

Lego can't win really can they - fantastic product: same design for decades, lasts forever, and children from 3 to 93 play with it. But, it lasts forever. We'd all complain if it disintegrated after five years. I bet they're thinking about it though -- maybe they just take old Lego back and re-use it.

 

[TeeDee]

Lego can't win really can they - fantastic product: same design for decades, lasts forever, and children from 3 to 93 play with it. But, it lasts forever. We'd all complain if it disintegrated after five years. I bet they're thinking about it though -- maybe they just take old Lego back and re-use it.

Also ideal impromptu Caltrops for bare feet.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

Apparently they are VERY intelligent , so I wouldn't be surprised if someone discovers some underwater fortress made from the little colourful Denmarkian (?) blocks.

Colossus Cetacean Castle...

Atlantis?

 

[TeeDee]

Atlantis?

BOOM!!

Disney movie script right there in 5 mins!!

Kids would love that.

 

[daveO]

There was a container ship called the Tokio Express that was hit by a rogue wave somewhere near Cornwall in 1997 and it lost a container with 4.8 million pieces of Lego inside it. It's famous among beach combers and people are still finding bits on beaches around the world. There were some Lego dragons in there that are like proper treasure to a beach comber.

 

[TeeDee]

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

I think it's the same thing as people who litter in general, they have a mental incapability to see that they're morons...

What gets me more so is people who visit beauty spots (some hikers are bad for this) and leave their rubbish... I appreciate things can fall out of bags/pockets sometimes stuff gets caught by the wind, but every now and again you come across just blatant littering and it's very odd.

 

[Tengu]

Dont they make stuff from plant starch now?

And I thought the Lego idea was thatit didnt have a date; the old stuff can be utilised with the new, yes?

Tengu the non Lego user

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

Dont they make stuff from plant starch now?

And I thought the Lego idea was thatit didnt have a date; the old stuff can be utilised with the new, yes?

Tengu the non Lego user

You don't play with Lego???

 

[TLM]

Dont they make stuff from plant starch now?

All starch polymer is ok, there are some blends with starch added in a way that the product breaks is small pieces, out of the eyes, but not really biodegraded.

 

[Woody girl]

I get rice starch food waste bin liners, the slugs eat them and they are realy fragile. The times they have split on me as I take them from the sink side bin to the outside one are innumerable! I've often had food waste all over my feet and the kitchen floor.
Now I take the inside container out to the collection one and do it outside.
Though they are realy ecological and rot down realy well, and can be eaten by slugs, (i often find a slug inside the bin munching away on them leaving nice holes for everything to fall out if you are unaware,) they do have their downsides!
I don't think I'd want to be carrying dog poo about in one.!
How did we cope with this problem before poop bags were invented... anyone remember?

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

How did we cope with this problem before poop bags were invented... anyone remember?

Apparently the laws were only brought in in 1996. No idea what people did before then. Left it I guess....

 

[British Red]

As an interesting aside on ecological connundrums, today we sold about 30 products. All UK craftspeople made from renewable resources.

So far so environmentally responsible.

The first 29 were dispatched in much the same way. Literally zero plastic (not even plastic tape). Corrugated cardboard, brown paper, paper tape and, where protective padding is required, local meadow hay.

Still happy.

The last one was on its way to Australia. Apparently sending plant material breaches biosecurity rules. Makes sense. But sending custom ceramics across the planet without padding also a big no.

We reused some synthetic packaging that we had received (bubble wrap etc.) but, without spending a fortune on starch packing chips that are no better than hay , can anyone think of a better solution?

 

[daveO]

I've had some parcels arrive that used sheep wool as the padding. I couldn't reuse the stuff so I put it out for the birds to use for nesting material this spring and it all disappeared very quickly. I'll empty the nest boxes in the autumn and compost the old nests. I'm not sure I'd trust it for ceramics though.
Maybe a quick shout on Freecycle might find materials that need reusing? I've got a big box of packing chips in the garage here that are waiting for reuse that will hopefully go off to someone that way.

 

[slowworm]

I tend to keep the best looking pieces of bubble wrap etc I receive in parcels and reuse.

Several companies also use cardboard that has been part shredded so the piece of cardboard has a lattice shape.

Other than that perhaps recycled old clothes, the ones that can't be reused.

 

[Kadushu]

Does sawdust count as plant material?